Smashed avocado oatcakes with orange, onion and cumin

Late last Thursday morning I had kind of missed breakfast but it wasn't yet lunchtime. Upon opening the fridge I was greeted with a bowlful of oranges, a salad tray of red onions and a forlorn looking avocado in need of using up...

I'm not typically a huge fan of avocado on its own as the primary ingredient in my meal but there's always room to change and after seeing a number of delicious looking 'smashed avocado' recipes around the blogosphere and most recently here on Kathy's blog with it's bright colours, temptation struck and I decided to give it a go myself!

This wasn't going to be a long prep or cook time as 10 minutes was all I had... and I was hungry! So I literally sliced up and onion pretty thinly dusted it in cumin and panfried it for five minutes whilst prepping the remainder… The result?  One super simple and super tasty breakfast. I may well be an avocado convert!! P.s I admit my oat cakes were not homemade... I like these Nairns ones for a quick cracker fix.  You could use other crackers or toast for the base if you preferred.

The cumin paired so well with both the flavours of the onion and the refreshing zing of the orange slices, I'd encourage you to use it but of course feel free to swap in any spices if you prefer or you donlt have cumin to hand. I use both ground cumin and cumin seeds so they could be toasted off with the onion. 

I ate an oatcake followed by orange wedge, followed by oat cake.... the orange was amazingly refreshing and also great palate cleanser between mouthfuls of avocado.

Recipe: Smashed avocado oatcakes with orange, onion and cumin

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 avocado
1 small red onion
A splash of olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin and 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 orange- peeled and segmented
Salt and pepper to taste
Oat cakes (or other 'base') to serve
Method:

Slice the onion very finely and lightly pan fry with a little oilve oil and the cumin until soft, approx. five minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the avocado and orange by lightly mashing the avocado so that it is still quite chunky and use one  of the orange segments squeezed over it. And a little salt and pepper to taste.

Using oat crackers (or rice crackers or toast if you prefer) spoon dollops of the avocado mix onto the crackers and top with the panfried onion slices. Decorate the plate with the orange wedges.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Hot chocolate 'power' pudding.... power for body and mind!

Ok, so I reeled you in with the title of this post...chocolate! That'll make anyone glance twice ;-)

Don't worry I will give you a chocolate fix, but first a little post-training debrief and review of the foodie variety!

As many of you now (I promise this is the last time I talk about it to any degree!) I completed Tough Mudder last weekend and so therefore in the month or so leading up the event my meals and snacks had been more carefully thought out than usual, with higher protein and hydrating foods featuring more heavily, also higher on the complex carbs in the few days prior. I have a backlog of recipes to share so the posts over the coming weeks will showcase some of these- great for the active and non-active people alike since good hydration is great for summer recipes and my protein focussed meals and snacks were based around whole foods and not protein supplements, equally important for everybody following a predominantly plant based lifestyle. Saying that, I do have some protein cookie coming tomorrow that utilise protein powders- but that's all :-)

To keep it brief and not bore or overwhelm you, here is a little overview summary of my food profile for last week in the final run up to the event. Obviously this was a balance of food that worked well for me but every body is different, for example I know I don't react well to high quantities of dried fruits and nuts (bloat inducing) so beans and quinoa took centre stage. Many of the recipes quoted below (and shown in the montage) will feature over the next few days.

Typical Daily Food Dairy (approximated for the entire week)

Food:

• Green Smoothie upon waking- between 6-9am

• Quinoa oatmeal power bowl (similar to below but typically without choc)- between 9am-11am

• Protein cookies (tomorrow's post) after workouts, or choc protein mousse plus banana- whatever time during the day

• Quinoa salad/veg bowl, or lentil chilli soup with quinoa. Typically I made a large batch and had some for lunch/snack and then the rest for dinner. Depending on if/when I was working out that day depended on whether I had the larger portion for lunch or for dinner. 

• Tropical chia pudding prior to workouts of as dessert/snack. I made a enough to last me a couple of days and grabbed a spoonful whenever I fancied it. (I also ate this approx. 1 hour prior to the event happening- totally fuelled me up- quickly digested carbs and mega hydrating!)

Drinks:

I made up a litre of the watermelon coconut cooler which lasted me a couple of days at a time.  I also drank a lot of green tea (tropical green tea as I can't get my taste buds around the plain stuff) I drank 2-3 mugs a day, this was instead of the usual mint tea I drink. I also drank at least another 2 ltrs plain filtered water. In total a minimum of 3 ltrs fluids. I don't drink coffee or regular tea anyway so that didn't come into the equation for me.

I found the balance worked really well to hydrate and sustain me without bloating me out as a lot of seeds/nuts tend to.

So, now i'd like to hear from you- what are your favourite 'fit foods', and ways you find best hydrate and sustain you?

Oh yes, I promised you a recipe!  

Here you go...as ever a super versatile, breakfast, brunch, snack...whatever (omit the choc and add other flavours if you feel choc is a bit much for an everyday breakfast ;-)  This totally set me up for the day. Fitness, motivation, endurance and focus is as much built in the mind as it is in the body... I promise this 'power' bowl will kick both into touch!

Recipe: Hot choc power pudding:

Serves 2 

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa (I have precooked portions in the freezer at all times for speed)
2 cups non-dairy milk of choice
2 tbs peanut butter (or other- hazlenut butter is fab!!)
4 tbs chia seeds
a few drops vanilla stevia to taste (or maple syrup)
2 tsp maca powder
2 tbs raw cacao or carob (note carob is slightly sweeter)
2 tsp cinnamon
Toppings of choice (I used a handful of goji berries and mixed red/black currants plus extra chia)

Note: you could sub some of the quinoa with part oats.

Method:

Prepare the quinoa if uncooked.

Add the quinoa, milk, nut butter, chia and sweetener to a pan and simmer on the stove for a few minutes until well mixed and warmed through. Turn off the heat and add the remaining ingredients, stir to mix well.

Spoon into bowls and add the toppings of choice. Eat immediately or chill half for eating later!

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Tropical pineapple and coconut baked oatmeal

It’s like a holiday in a bowl....tropical paradise by the spoonful!

I love my baked oatmeal and I have been experimenting with different flavour combinations recently. This is one of my favourites and it definitely has the’ dessert factor’, in much the same way as this apple and blueberry pie did.

Use large flakes or coconut curls instead of desiccated coconut for the best appearance and texture. The pineapple is so sweet you barely need any additional sweetener but I added a touch of coconut sugar for good measure... just follow your taste buds. For extra indulgence use coconut milk as your ‘milk’ of choice. 

This is definitely one of those ‘mix it up and throw it in the oven’ bakes...healthy, foolproof’ and it simply tastes divine. I ate this as breakfast (with the help of my mum)...but it's totally desert worthy and once against ridiculously healthy in the desert stakes! No excuses...just make it now!

If it’s not hot and sunny where you are quite yet....this will transport you back to your holiday’s with one simple bite!

Do you want more bresert recipes?...sure, no problem...here they are!

Recipe: Tropical pineapple and coconut baked oatmeal

Serves 2

Ingredients:

½ cup oats

1 tbs ground flax

Pinch salt

1 tsp coconut sugar (or other sweetener of choice- optional)

2/3 cup fresh pineapple chunks (or 1 tin)

¼ cup chunky coconut flakes/curls

¾ cup non dairy milk of choice (I used almond but coconut milk would be great!)

1 tsp vanilla extract (or rum flavouring)

Note: for a more ‘grown up’ dessert you could try add some rum for part of the milk content- I haven’t tried this!

Method:

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl, adding the pineapple and coconut last, sprinkle a few of the coconut flakes over the top surface.

Spoon evenly into a medium pie dish- approx 20cm diameter (the mixture should be approx 2cm deep)

Bake at 180C for approx 30 mins until the top is golden.

Oooh get a little cheeky...cheeky! :-)

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Summer fruit slaw with chia berry dressing

My julienne peeler has been getting a bit of action again! But this time it’s not only with the veggies.

After the success of this simple cucumber and pineapple salsa, I was keen to experiment more with mixing the refreshing subtle taste of cucumber with other fruits.

Here I used any fruits I could get my hands on to julienne. For your reference...no, you cannot julienne a banana. Believe me I tried. It would have been the perfect shape so I am very disappointed! (I even tried with a frozen banana as I was that determined but nope it just wasn’t happening!)

The first time I made this slaw I had a large mango in my fruit bowl and that worked a treat, the second time I didn’t have a mango, hence why the photos below are mango-less but I have still added it to the recipe. I also used rhubarb which gave a great tart flavour contrast, though raw rhubarb is a little tough and stringy so you may want to cook it ever so slightly after julienning it- I left it raw, but it’s just an idea for you to try.

Throw in lots of cucumber, you won’t taste it against the sweetness of the fruits and I also added a simple fruity yoghurt and chia dressing to give an extra touch of sweetness.

Breakfast? Dessert? You choose.

Recipe: Summer fruit slaw

Serves 1

Ingredients:

½ cup cucumber noodles

¼ cup rhubarb noodles (cook lightly if desired)

¼ cup mango noodles

----

1tbs sugar free berry jam

2 tbs non-dairy yoghurt

1 tsp chia seed

Extra fruit/berries to decorate as desired.

Method:

Mix the yoghurt with the sugar free jam and chia seeds and set aside to thicken slightly. 

Prepare the fruit and cucumber noodles and place in a swirl in a serving plate/bowl leaving a well in the centre. Spoon the jam mix into the centre of the slaw.

Decorate with berries  to serve as desired. You could also add a sprinkle of cinnamon, vanilla bean powder, cocoa, coconut, nuts.....

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Overnight oats cookies!

Simplicity at it’s best!  

It's always good to simplify everything in life where possible...this hugely popular post was a testament to how amazing simplicity can be! 

Simplicity is most definitely where it's at. Starting with these...

I love oats, I love cookies, I love oatmeal....I want it all!  BUT I often don’t want to spend any time at all prepping things in the morning.  Particularly as of late with all the new developments that have been taking place.

It’s needs to be good to go in one quick swoop!

I think I may have an ingenious solution to that demand. The concept of 'overnight oats' saves you time in the morning (and is super healthy) so what if I made up a thick overnight oat mix, infused with chia seed to help thicken, bind and healthify things even more. Then come morning just throw it in the oven? Hmm, what would happen?

Well, I can report that you do indeed get cookies! 

To elaborate a little further I tried two version one with and one without oil, those with the oil were slightly lighter and had a crispness to the outside, though both were soft cookies and both tasted good! I would advise either eating them freshly from the oven or warming again slightly if consuming at a later time. The double bake effect also help crisp up the non-oil cookies. They were softer and a tad rubbery if eaten cold after a period of time (though I still ate them so that’s not to say they are at all bad!)

Add any mix-ins you fancy just before you dollop the cookie mix and pop them in the oven- throw in a handful or this or that. Raisins were a particular favourite for me- sweet and squashy,  I also tried choc chips and pumpkin seeds.  I kept the cookie mix only slightly sweetened for breakfast, but feel free to add a little extra sweetness to taste if desired.

Recipe: Overnight oats cookie

Makes approx 12 cookies

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup oats

1 ½ cups non dairy milk of choice

3 tbs maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)

¼ cup flax or chia

½ tsp cinnamon

--------

¼ cup melted coconut oil (optional)

½ cup mix ins- raisins, chocolate chips, nuts, seeds etc

Method:

Mix the top 5 ingredients together well in a medium bowl. Allow to sit over night (or for a few hours) the mixture should be very thick and gloopy.

Heat the oven to 180C and mix the coconut oil through the mixture along with any desired mixins. Taste the mixture and add a little extra sweetener if needed.

Dollop balls and flatten on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 mins until golden. The cookies will only crisp up a little.

Note: these are soft breakfast cookies but the addition of the oil will make a slightly slighter cookie with crisper edges (I also had success with ‘double baking’ the no oil version).  To achieve a crisper cookie you may try 2-3 tbs of unrefined granulated sugar instead of the syrup- note I have not tried this.

For more oaty goodness check out these recipes!

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Cookies and cream parfait

It seems you loved the carrot cookies! Well to be honest I don’t blame you… to honour their gloriousness I gave them a simple twist that turns a cookie into the basis for a simple no-bake bressert 

You could use any fairly thick cookie here, they can either be soft or a little it crisp but you’ll want to be able to break them into chunks. I reckon the chocolate quinoa cookies, chocolate pillowcakes (these are fat free) or coconut oatmeal cookies would work really well. Or even any of my breakfast cookies!

The cookie forms the base of the parfait and then gets layered up between soft whippy coconut cream…you can infuse this with lemon, orange, cocoa or other flavours to compliment the cookie base, and fresh fruit for extra healthy zing. You can also add a sprinkle topping or cookie crumbs if you wish. Depending on the shape of your bowl you can layer u as many times as you wish. Mine was wide and shallow so I just used cookie chunks at the base.

This would make a refreshing light summer treat (ok so I am getting a bit ahead of myself!) and reminds me bit of trifle (without the jelly layer of course) oh how I miss trifle!

Recipe: Cookie parfait  

Serves 4 (based on original carrot cookie recipe amount)

Ingredients:

10 carrot cookies (or other cookie of choosing)

approx. 1 ½ cups fairly thick coconut cream plus mix ins if required.

approx. 1 ½ cup fruit

toppings of choice or extra cookie crumbs

Method:

Prepare the coconut cream and set this aside

Break up the cookies into small chunks and place the equivalent of 2 small cookies at the bottom of

a dessert dish (or split into two layers if preferred).

Add a dollop of coconut cream to each dish and then layer fresh fruit on top (repeat these layers depending in shape of dish- i.e wine glass?) Finish with some crumbs of the remaining cookies or other sprinkles of choice.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Carrot cookies

I love a cookie...especially a breakfast cookie as that usually means tasty but super healthy!

The recipe for these breakfast cookies came from Abel and Cole and looked so tasty I couldn’t resist giving them a go myself, ok I changed things up ever so slightly using oatmeal as the entire cookie base instead of part spelt (they seemed more breakfast-like that way) I also increased the carrot content and made a few other minor healthy swaps...couldn’t resist!

They were so good, deliciously fat and chewy and they held together well- don’t skimp on the flax (or you can use ground chia). The date sugar gave a lovely caramelly flavour and a slight crispness, you could use another unrefined granulated sugar here but I would suggest that the texture wouldn’t be quite the same just using a liquid sweetener.

 I went for a pumpkin seed and cranberry combo as I loved the contrast in colours against the carrot, also because I seem to have a bit of a thing for pumpkin seeds at the moment. Use whatever dried fruit and seeds or nuts you fancy..how about date and walnut...?

I reckon this will be a recipe base I come back to again, I can already visualise the options, using courgette or parsnip and the veggie hit! 

For more breakfast cookies, you find them amongst the concoctions in this breakfast tab.

 

Recipe: Carrot cookies

Makes approx 10 cookies

Ingredients:

60g oat flour

80g whole oats

1 tbs ground flax

¼ tsp baking soda

Pinch salt

1 tsp cinnamon

50g date sugar

1 tbs maple syrup

1 large carrot-coarsely grated

30ml coconut oil (Melted) or olive oil

50g dried cranberries or other dried fruit

50g pumpkin seeds

1 tsp lemon zest (optional)

Method:

Mix the dry ingredient together in a medium bowl.

Ix the carrot, oil, maple syrup and lemon zest and then add to the dry mixture. Mix lightly using hands as necessary.

Form dollops of cookie mix with your hands and flatten into cookies on a lined baking sheet.

Bake at 180C for approx 10 mins until lightly golden. For a crisper cookie, flip and cook for a further 3 minutes.

 

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Creamy quinoa porridge

I love quinoa, and I don’t eat it nearly enough. Since going through my (seemingly never ending) fitness bar development phase I learnt that a high quantity of nuts and seeds just doesn’t agree with my digestion. Nuts and seeds are a great source of protein but I’m taking a little respite from them to get my body back on track so I need to fill up on alternative protein rich whole foods.

Quinoa! 

This seems to sit well with my digestion and is so endlessly versatile I need to bring this food into my everyday diet a lot more. These chocolate cookies and also these banana ones are a great option- they will be my new ‘grab-and-go’ snack fuel for the time being.

Whilst I am familiar with adding quinoa to top a bowl of soup or to form the base of a salad, I have only recently started experimenting with sweet versions. With the freezer now stocked with batches of cooked quinoa portions I figured this a was the perfect opportunity.  

Here I’ve kept it simple with a breakfast quinoa porridge, this was inspired by my recent foray with buckwheat porridge so I felt pretty confident it could work!  I lightly spiced it with cinnamon and nutmeg to compliment quinoa's 'nuttiness' and sweetened with mashed banana for an extra breakfast boost and then topped with just a few chopped walnuts, date sugar and raisins (and more cinnamon)....mmmmm, gives my oats a run for their money!

This would be fab topped with my breakfast sprinkles to further sweeten and jazz things up too!

Recipe : Creamy quinoa porridge

Serves 1

Ingredients

3/4 cup cooked quinoa (I defrosted a freezer prtion)

1 mashed banana 

1 tbs peanut butter or almond butter (for extra creaminess)

1/2 - 3/4 cup non dairy milk to reach desired consistency (I like mine loose and creamy)

approx. 1/4 cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

2 tsp chia seed (optional)

nuts and fruit and date sugar or my breakfast sprinkle for topping

Method

On the stove top add the cooked quinoa and milk and warm through on a medium heat, after 2-3 minutes add the mashed banana and nut butter and mix through evenly until creamy. 

Add a little extra milk if needed and add the spices and chis seed in the final minute. 

Spoon into a bowl and sprinkle with toppings.  

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.